


moonchild.

by usohtsuki



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bittersweet, Childhood, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, M/M, One Shot, Slow Build, mentions of kuroken, no paedophilia i swear that shit nasty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 22:28:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16438013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usohtsuki/pseuds/usohtsuki
Summary: When the light has vanishedAnd the darkness has consumed everythingDon’t fear, for the stillness will not last longYou will be protected by the shadowsThe child of the Moon will watch over youAnd you will be safeFor he is the one who has lost the mostAnd he refuses the same for his peopleAn adventurous, young boy meets an ethereal Moon Spirit.





	moonchild.

Koutarou knew, from the moment he saw the man in the forest, that this was something he should never speak of to his overly-skeptical mother. It had been quite a regular afternoon, but he’d been playing with the wildlife of the wood for longer than usual, failing to notice the sunset looming over the metropolis in the distance. Only when he looked up to the stars making their faint appearance did he gather himself and begin running home, anxiously gritting his teeth in anticipation of the same old lecture from his mother to come home before the Sun sets. He had done this a few times before, but he hadn’t been so far that it would take him at least twenty minutes to get home. It was alright, he knew the way, he thought. 

 

Except - something wasn’t right. A mystical sensation hung in the air, like a miasma, and though the boy had never felt anything like it, he sensed a sudden warmness shroud his chest. Koutarou thought he was hallucinating when a beautiful man, surrounded by turquoise fireflies, stood in the centre of the forest, the trees swaying in the serenity of his presence. He halted behind them, watching with large, golden eyes.

 

A streak of moonlight hit the man’s face and he slowly lifted his head back, as if to intake a fantastical energy from the sphere hanging in the sky. But then he snapped his head towards where Koutarou had been hiding, and the young boy gasped in shock, as if he’d been caught stealing extra barbecued meat. “Hello, mister!” He sheepishly pushed out.

 

The man stared at him with piercing eyes, “Young boy, you should be home now.” His voice held authority, yet a hint of kindness. Koutarou was still in shock. “The forest is dangerous at this time.”

 

Koutarou stepped forward, not an ounce of fear weighing him down. “I know, I know! I was about to go home just now, I swear! Please don’t tell my mom!”

 

The man just tilted his head and let out a small laugh. “I won’t. Hurry home, or I won’t be able to do my job.”

 

“Your job?”

 

The man of ethereality sat in the centre of a large tree stump with various intricate engravings (Koutarou took note of the fact that this was the tree stump he would always use as his throne in games of ‘ _Prince and Pauper_ ’ with his friends). “Yes. It’s late now. Please return home.”

 

The seven-year-old nodded, and was about to continue his journey home, but he was all too intrigued by the glowing aura the man emitted. “Mister, will you be here tomorrow, too? Can I talk to you tomorrow? Can I? Please, please, please?” The boy looked at him pleading eyes, his two irises seeming to resemble the Sun itself, and the man sighed.

 

“Alright. But please go home, your mother is worried.”

 

“Okay! Bye, mister!” And the boy ran home that night, out of the forest and into the brightness of the city. Nearing his own home, he stopped at the display of a chiseled, stone man, crouching in a state of melancholia with hundreds of Moon Orchids around him. Koutarou had always passed this statue on his way home from school, the forest and even Tetsurou’s home - so why had he only stopped to look at it now?

 

He stopped at the base of the cylindrical platform the statue was held on, and leaned in to read the plaque with his limited reading ability:

 

> _**THE CHILD OF THE MOON.** He who has been bound to an eternity of loneliness and desolation will protect the people from danger, suffering and sorrow of his same fate in the night. _ ’

 

A long string of words, line after line, were carved into the stone beneath this, and Koutarou decided it was enough reading for the day, continuing his run home.

 

When he quietly opened the door, his mother was stood with a pointed glare, leaning against the wall. Oh, boy. “Kou, you should know by now that I don’t want you out this late. It would be one thing if your sister was with you, or at least your friends, but it’s too dangerous out there alone. You didn’t go too far did you?” Koutarou pondered on his options. He could: one - lie so she wouldn’t worry and scold him further, or two - tell her that he wandered to the furthest parts of the city and into the forest that she told him not to go into - oh, and also ran into a mystical man who he had a conversation with. Yeah, he could see the last option stemming into another lecture about ‘stranger danger’ and all - maybe that wasn’t the best option. When his mother had finished (“Alright, be home early next time, and remember never to go to the forest,”), he rushed upstairs, quickly but quietly closed his door and jumped into bed with his muddy attire still on;he was bound for another telling off already.

 

That night, the young boy lay awake in wonder at the surreal man in the forest.

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


By age nine, Koutarou would say he knows who he used to call the ‘Moon Man’ two years back, now known as Keiji Akaashi, pretty well. It’s a Summer’s day, when the Sun’s due to set late at around nine o'clock, that the youngster runs through the city, claiming to be ‘ _ at Tetsu’s _ ’ house and ‘ _ even Kenma gets to go at this time, so why can’t I? _ ’ He had begged his mother, who clearly, eventually gave in.

 

When he arrives at the forest entrance, he stops running, out of breath. He had a big game tomorrow - he couldn’t afford to tire himself out too much the night before. As he made his way to the large, old stump that he’d grown so accustomed to, he seated himself at the edge, tapping impatiently on the stump and every few minutes, reading his new, digital,  _ Ben 10  _ watch like he understood anything about the concept of time other than the fact that the Sun was going to set at exactly fifty-two minutes past eight.

 

And when the last digit switched from a one to a two, a striking turquoise light flashed in the centre of the stump before him, leaving a stern Keiji staring back at the boy.

 

“Bokuto-kun, did you even get permission to come here again?”

 

The boy looked at him with a classic, sheepish grin, “I did! Well, technically I got permission to go and stay at Tetsu’s house by myself tonight - which I will do! But I wanted to visit you first.” Keiji dropped his head in his hands, shaking it in a manner of awe. “Oh! And I told Tetsurou and Kenma to come here and meet you too! Tetsu said he’d tell my mom if I didn’t let him meet you because he said it’s unfair that only I get a big friend. But I don’t think that’s true. He has an older brother that’s like a hundred years old!”

 

Keiji laughed at that. “A hundred? Are you sure?” Koutarou nodded, feeling accomplished whenever he got his older friend to laugh. “Okay, I’ll meet them. But don’t you have any older friends like Tetsurou-kun does, other than me?”

 

“Nope! I have a sister, but she’s only three years older than me. My mom doesn’t count as an older friend because she yells at me all the time and friends don’t yell at you,” He grumbles, as if to reminisce all the times his mother had scolded him for something that was (evidently) his fault.

 

“What about your dad?”

 

“Mom says he’s not with us, but it’s okay! We have loads of pictures of him in the house so we’ll never forget him - that’s what mom says anyway. But I still have mom, my sister and now a brother, too! That’s you by the way, Akaashi-san.”

 

Keiji smiled warmly, “That’s right.”

 

It was silent between them for a few moments, and nothing but the distant buzzing of the city and the hum of the nocturnal creatures could be heard. “Akaashi-san, why do I never see you in the morning?”

 

Keiji paused. “Well, I like the night time. And it’s my duty to protect everyone at night because that’s when the Moon calls me, though I could come out in the morning if I really wanted.” The elder could almost sense Koutarou’s next question. “No, the moon doesn’t talk and no, I don’t exactly  _ fight _ bad guys - it’s more like… my presence wards off evil spirits?” Koutarou tilted his head in confusion.  “I guess you could say I make sure that people are happy and safe at night. And no, it doesn’t work all the time, it’s like… I’m just here for the balance. Not everyone will always be able to have happiness at all times, but the people who aren’t happy at night will have someone watching over them in the day time, doing exactly what I do. Get it?”

 

Koutarou nodded unsurely. “But then who’s the person that makes sure everyone is happy in the day time?” 

 

“Someone very special - they have eyes like honey and they’re able to make anyone smile when they smile. You might meet them one day,” Keiji looked at Kou’s illuminating eyes with a fond yet sorrowful glance. Koutarou didn’t get it, but he was satisfied with that answer.

 

“Akaashi-san?” The boy perked up again. Keiji hummed in response. “Are you the statue in the city? You know the one that’s crying?”

 

Keiji was surprised the youngster made that connection. “I guess I am. The people of the city built that there hundreds of years ago because I had an interaction with them. I became an urban legend I suppose.”

 

“I don’t know what that means, but okay. Wait a second. Hundred of years?! Akaashi-san how old  _ are _ you?” Oops. An unusual slip-up.

 

“I’m really old, but let’s just say I’m… forever 23?”

 

“Why does that sound like the name of a clothes store?”

 

“It probably is.”

 

“But seriously, I can’t believe you’re so old! I have a really old friend! That’s ancient, ‘Kaashi-san!” That was the first time Keiji blushed in embarrassment. In another world, he would have insisted he wasn’t old, but clearly, he was.

 

At that moment, two young boys, the same age as Koutarou, approached the stump, one of them looking at their surroundings in awe and the other’s eyes glued to the screen of his DS. “Guys, you found it!” Koutarou yelled with a wide grin. The two boys wandered closer, and Keiji observed the one with black bed-head; this must be Tetsurou, and the other - Kenma.

 

“Kou, is this your big friend? Hi, mister! Hmm…” He inspected Keiji’s face carefully before erupting in an unimpressed tone, “If he can’t do anything cool like magic, then I say you should stop talking to him!”

 

Kenma, who had an exasperated expression plastered across his face, sighed. “Kuroo, you can’t just say that when he’s right there.” Keiji burst into a chuckle at this. Kids were funny.

 

“It’s fine. Want to see some magic?” And with that, Keiji raised his palm horizontally towards the Moon, as if collecting some sort of lunar energy into his hand. He then pulled his hand into a fist, before opening it out again, releasing numerous butterflies shrouded with a luminescent glow out of his palm. The three boys were in shock - even Kenma.

 

“Akaashi-san, that’s awesome! Teach me, teach me!” Koutarou begged, excitedly pulling on the man’s loose shirt.

 

“Haha, next time, okay? I think it’s time for you three to go back and play games for the night.” Kenma’s eyes lit up. “Be safe on your way home.” Tetsurou and Koutarou whined, but eventually departed (not without at least ten minutes of waving, of course).

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


Never had Koutarou thought eighth grade would be so  _ freaking _ difficult (yes, his mother said it was okay to use those words now), but he would never tell his family that.

 

He stomped over to Keiji’s stump and waited for the time on his new sports watch to reach eleven minutes past four. When it did, the same old routine of Keiji appearing in a bright flash of turquoise occurred, but Koutarou wasn’t as excited as he usually was. Not only because of his maturity that came with his age, but the elder could tell that something was irritating him. “Wanna talk about it?” Koutarou shook his head and pouted angrily. Keiji was confused, but he knew teenagers were a handful - why had he come here today if he was unwilling to talk? “Okay, then let’s talk about school.”

 

“No!” Koutarou exclaimed sharply. This was the first time he had yelled at Keiji. Keiji mentally noted and dated it down in his ‘ _ Koutarou’s Firsts _ ’ section of his brain, as if he was some sort of proud guardian of how fast Koutarou had grown up.

 

“Okay. How about we talk about the other things at school other than, uh, your education?”

 

“That’s the part I’m angry about!”

 

“Then you should tell me about it. I might be able to help,” Keiji urged (he was curious of what kids got up to these days).

 

“Fine.” The fourteen-year-old crossed his legs and turned to face Keiji, “There’s this girl that likes me and comes to, like, all of my volleyball matches. Tetsurou thinks I should date her. I like her a little, I think. But I also like this boy in another school. Can boys like each other? Tetsurou said he likes Kenma a lot, like, he  _ like _ -likes him. That was too many likes.” Keiji agreed. “But I don’t know who to like. Or, well, who I like in the first place. Who should I date? I don’t want to leave junior high with no experience!”

 

Keiji was at a loss for words. Koutarou needed  _ dating _ advice? This was also going in the mental  _ Firsts _ section. “Well, um. First of all, it’s perfectly fine to like anyone. Maybe you’re bisexual?”

 

“I think I might be. My mom said she’ll love me no matter what when I first asked her what being gay meant at eleven-years-old. She lectured me for like three hours, like she’d prepared a speech about how much she loves me. I didn’t even say I like boys at that time!”

 

Keiji laughed, “You must be blessed to have such a family. Many people don’t have that, you know.”

 

“They don’t? That’s so sad…everyone deserves love no matter who they like. I thought that was obvious! It might be because you’re always protecting me, like a guardian. You’ve always felt familiar anyway when I was younger, so I’d like to think you’re my secret protector and just not telling me because of some cool reason, like in the movies!” Koutarou rambled for a good few minutes.

 

“Yes… I guess you could say that.” Keiji ruffled the younger boy’s hair tenderly. “But secondly, I think you should just follow your heart. If you like the girl, then go for the girl, especially because she likes you back. But if you like the boy more, you should go for the boy. To find out who you like more, you should spend more time with each of them and see who you’re more comfortable around.”

 

“No shit, Sherlock!” Keiji gasped in shock, and Koutarou covered his mouth with both hands. “Don’t tell my mom! Don’t get mad! It was an accident, I promise!”

 

Keiji just sighed. “If you think you’re mature enough to use curses, then I’m not in a place to stop you…just don’t swear too much because then it’ll be hard to speak to other people without using curses every other world. You’re old enough to be sensible, Bokuto.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, now you just sound like my mom,” He grumbled. “But what was I saying… oh yeah! I already was planning to find out who I like more it’s just… I don’t know what I want!”

 

“Well, excuse me for not being educated on teenage romance. It’s not  _ my _ fault I’m some moon-spirit guardian being that has never left this forest.” He rolled his eyes. “But okay then, thirdly, I also think it’s fine not to have ‘experience’ in junior high. You like volleyball, right? Don’t let romance get in the way of your hobbies by forcing it. If it happens, it happens, right? I think you should go with the flow.”

 

“Easy for you to say.” They sat in silence, with Koutarou lying on his back against the large tree stump and staring at the Moon, which seemed so close, yet so far away.

 

“Maybe.” 

 

The junior high student didn’t question his statement.

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


These days, Koutarou would be too busy with volleyball and (barely) studying that he stopped visiting Keiji as often as he used to. He still came, but some days, it would be way past sunset - sometimes around midnight. This was one of those days.

 

With a dejected expression, Koutarou slumped onto his usual spot next to Keiji, who was stroking a horned owl. He had sensed Koutarou’s depressed state in recent weeks, and thought bringing him his favourite animal might encourage him to lighten up.

 

Koutarou didn’t even look. Keiji was unsatisfied.

 

“Koutarou-kun.” He didn’t respond. “Koutarou-kun, look at me. Tell me, what’s wrong?”

 

Koutarou looked down at his calloused hands, “It’s… Honoka broke up with me.”  _ Oh _ . “Obviously, I’d been dating her for nearly two years so… I guess this is heartbreak. I think I really did love her.” Keiji was lost in thought. “You might not understand-” The elder cut him off.

 

“No, I get it. I was just thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Nothing. Continue.”

 

“Okay… Well I don’t know. We’d been fighting a lot before that, because she said I spend too much time on volleyball and don’t care about her enough. But then I’d tell her it’s because volleyball is my life - it’s so fun that I want a career out of it. I want this feeling of adrenaline during every match, and it’s not like I was gonna get the same feeling from her. I mean, the sex wasn’t even that good,” He mumbled. Keiji burst out laughing.

 

“Sorry - inappropriate timing, I know.” He stifled. Koutarou just smiled that he was able to witness the man’s glorious laugh. “But I think you’re right. Well, we can’t blame it on her either, but she’d have had to understand that volleyball defines you. Honoka should’ve known that before getting into a relationship with you, especially considering she heard of you through volleyball anyway back in junior high. But if you think about it from her perspective, at your current age, girls are going around being pampered by their guys so she might have felt jealous. And besides that, maybe she was having friendship issues or her home life isn’t so good at the moment, and she just lashed out at you. Maybe you should talk to her - and I don’t mean you have to get back together - reach out to her and make sure she’s okay. At least end everything on good terms.”

 

Koutarou was stunned, “You’re a wise man, Akaashi!” 

 

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

 

“Owls can turn their heads at a 270 degree angle.”

 

“I knew that.”

 

“Damn it, I never win!” Koutarou grunted in feigned annoyance.

 

They fell silent again, like they do in all their conversations, staring at the moon. Koutarou looked over at Keiji and decided not to question why his eyes glow whenever he looks at the Moon. That should be obvious already, considering he’s some sort of Moon-spirit-thing.

 

“Akaashi, have you ever fallen in love? If you’re immortal, you must have had someone at some point, right?”

 

Keiji bit his lip, cautiously formulating his answer in his mind. “Yeah.”

 

“What, that’s it? I waited like a whole two minutes for you to answer, and you give me a measly ‘ _ yeah _ ’? You disappoint me,” Koutarou joked.

 

“Well what else do you want to know?”

 

The now eighteen-year-old rolled his eyes. “What were they like? How did you meet them? That sort of thing!”

 

The elder hummed. “They ar- were beautiful. I met them like I met you. In the forest. Though last time, they came to me a little older - about twelve I think? We knew each other for years.” Keiji ignores the quizzical look Koutarou gives him when he says ‘last time’. “They were amazing. Like the Sun. So radiant, so warm, so loving. I even came out in the day sometimes if they asked me to do so.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“They passed away. Not due to old age, either. There were in a, um… accident.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Koutarou puts his hand on Keiji’s back and rubs in small and slow circles, “But Akaashi, how did you become eternal anyway? When was your birth? How did you end up here?”

 

He knew this question would come some day or another. “It’s hard to believe, but I was born from the lunar energy of the Moon centuries ago - the deities of this world sent me down as a protector of the people for the night. But I… disobeyed orders.”

 

“Was it because of your loved one?”

 

“Yes.” Keiji gulped. “I craved being human so much for my lover that I left the forest in hopes of finding a way to relieve myself of my duties. A few days later, they were dead due to an accident, and I was left to swallow my pain by myself. The gods and goddesses were enraged that I had abandoned my duty for my selfish needs, and punished me with an eternal life of seeing the world go by. That’s what the statue in the city is all about. Did you read the poem?”

 

“I have. I thought it was sad on its own at first, but knowing the backstory is worse. 

 

_ “When the light has vanished _

_ And the darkness has consumed everything _

_ Don’t fear, for the stillness will not last long _

_ You will be protected by the shadows _

_ The child of the Moon will watch over you _

_ And you will be safe _

_ For he is the one who has lost the most _

_ And he refuses the same for his people _

 

“I’m good at reciting it, right?”

 

Keiji nodded softly. “You are.” After a few moments, the younger male apologised. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago.  _ Feels like nothing, now _ .” He whispered. “You should go home. Graduation soon, right?”

 

They both sat up, Koutarou staring at Keiji with worry. “But I don’t want you to be lonely tonight.”

 

“You can stay here if you want, but I guarantee it will be uncomfortable,” he replied, motioning to the jagged tree stump.

 

“I don’t mind.” Koutarou laid his head down on Keiji’s lap, smiling at the man with the moonlit eyes, and drifting off to sleep. That night, Keiji didn’t move an inch.

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


Twenty-one is a weird age. You’re finally internationally legal to do  _ adult things _ , as Koutarou called it. Despite being in college and moving out of his childhood home, the ‘adult’ made an effort to travel to his forest at least three times a week still. Keiji had told him multiple times to stop, because he would only be tiring himself out, but Koutarou just smiled his classic, wide smile and told him it was worth it. The corners of Keiji’s lips lifted at that.

 

“AkaaaAAAsssshiiiii,” Koutarou dragged his name out in the way that he’d been doing often recently.

 

“What is it, Koutarou?”

 

“I’m bored.”

 

“That’s because you come here too often for a college student who now lives miles away from home and you have nothing to talk about anymore.”

 

“Then give me something to talk about!”

 

“Twenty-one-years-old and yet you still act like the seven-year-old I once knew,” Keiji deadpanned. “Fine. How’s Tetsurou and Kenma? You never talk about them anymore. The new team? Volleyball? How about the freak-duo from back in high school - have you been in contact with them? I remember an Oikawa-san too, you talked about him a lot before. Who’s the blonde one with the glasses again? Saltyshima?”

 

Koutarou burst into laughter, “You remember the most specific things about my friends! Oh man, Saltyshima, I am so calling Tsukishima that!” Keiji grinned. “They’re doing great, actually. Tetsurou and Kenma are still dating, which is great, but I’m always third-wheeling. I’m pretty sure the freak-duo are gay, too. Oh, man, I feel like being gay comes with the whole volleyball thing, right? That’s hilarious. I should have realised sooner. Everything’s great though! I have Oikawa on my new college team and even Ushijima, that absolute monster of a spiker! But I still think I’m better than him. I’m the ace and I always will be!”

 

“Right,” Keiji joked with a pointed look.

 

“Hey!” Koutarou pushed his shoulder as Keiji erupted into a fit of laughter.

 

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry! I know you’re good at volleyball, I’m just playing.” When Keiji calmed down, he asked about his family.

 

“Oh, mom’s great! She reconnected with her old classmates from college and she’s been having a girls night out with them like every other day! And she makes the best meat, still. Kotori is doing fine, as usual. I think she’s planning to bring her boyfriend home this Sunday - she wants us there to meet him.”

 

The men fell into idle chatter until it hit three in the morning.

 

“You should probably go home. Your mother will be glad to see you, and I assume you don’t have any lectures tomorrow or you’re not planning on going, considering how late you stayed for a Wednesday night.”

 

No reply.

 

“Koutarou?”

 

Like usual, there was only the buzzing of the distant city and the low hum of the wildlife surrounding the pair. Keiji looked over to Koutarou, and saw his eyes shut. When he went to move him, he opened his mouth and softly mumbled.

 

“I like you, Akaashi.”

 

Keiji’s chest tightened.

 

“W-What?”

 

“I said I like you, Keiji Akaashi. I like you.” Koutarou sat up, looking Keiji in the eye. Keiji looked away.

 

“I think… Fuck. I think you should go.”

 

Koutarou’s eyes never wavered, the golden irises pleading Keiji’s for a better answer. After some moments, Koutarou slowly lowered his gaze and walked home to his mother, failing to notice the bright blue streams of tears trailing down the face of the Moon spirit.

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


For months afterwards, Keiji hadn’t heard a word from Koutarou. He knew he made a mistake, but how else could he tell him they couldn’t be together? Keiji had made many mistakes in the past, and he was not prepared to commit another.

 

It was a Winter night at eleven o’clock when Koutarou finally turned up.

 

“Hey.”

 

Keiji had sensed his presence and had already been trying to hold back the urge to leap into the younger’s arms. That’s why he was so overwhelmed when Koutarou leapt into his. And they fell back into the routine of aimless conversation night after night.

  
  
  


It was the day after Koutarou’s twenty-fourth birthday when he turned up to Keiji’s forest just a little after sunset (around forty-six minutes past seven) and the sky was still a purple-ish pink. The Moon had been visible throughout the entire day, and it was only going to become brighter from this point onwards.

 

“Keiji, I could technically say I’m older than you now!”

 

“Happy birthday, Koutarou. Yes, you could. Though  _ technically _ -technically, I think my 2026th birthday is coming soon,” He grinned.

 

“No fair! You can’t bring your real age into this and then also say you’re  _ ‘eternally twenty-three’ _ ! I call false advertisement.”

 

“That doesn’t make sense, Kou.”

 

“You don’t make sense!”

 

“Ever the child.”

 

Koutarou grumbled something about ‘ _ you’re not my dad _ ’ and Keiji looked over at the ‘older’ man fondly.

 

After some time came Koutarou’s curious questions. “Keiji, are you technically a God?”

 

“I know some people in the city think I am, but I’d say I’m just a guardian spirit that’s been bound to eternally protect the people through the power of the Moon. Maybe you could say I’m a servant to the deities? They created me from lunar energy after all.”

 

Koutarou hummed and faced Keiji. He put his hand to Keiji’s jaw and tilted it so they’d make eye contact. The Moon spirit knew what was going to happen, and Koutarou could see his lips wavering. “Keiji… I want to make you human. I want to love you and give you the life you never had as a human. I know I confessed to you once and three years back, we never spoke of it again, but I love you, Keiji Akaashi. I want to save you.” He leaned his forehead against Keiji’s.

 

“Koutarou…” Keiji’s voice was hoarse. “We can’t. I can’t do this again. You’ve tried this, you’ve already tried to make me human. So many times, so many times…” He began to sob, and the wildlife of the forest were murmuring with the same hurt as Keiji.

 

“What are you talking about, Keiji?”

 

“I mean, we’ve met before. I’ve met you so many times. You were my first love, who I abandoned my duties for. You were the man I’ve fallen in love with repeatedly, in an endless cycle, for centuries. This is my punishment. This is my curse. I love you so much each time you come back to me that I lose you again, and again. I can’t go through this again.”

 

“But if I kiss you and love you, we can prove to the gods and goddesses that your love for me outweighs your duties, can’t we? If they’re so powerful, why can’t the deities just make a new goddamn Moon spirit?!”

 

“Because this is our destiny. This is what I deserved for my selfish acts of abandoning the safety of the people. And this is what I now deserve for bringing you into this curse with me, my Sun.”

 

“What do you mean?” Koutarou stared at Keiji with his bold, golden eyes.

 

“You’re the Sun spirit, because of my foolishness. You’re always going to be involved in my stupid life each time you are reincarnated, because you are bound to my curse as the Sun spirit, but you will always forget me and you will always forget your role on the Earth. The gods and goddesses made you the Sun spirit to torment me. I did this to you. Please, don’t love me, so you can live as a human.” Keiji was sobbing, his ever-piercing eyes glistening. “Please don’t kiss me. You’ll leave me if you kiss me.”

 

“I want to kiss you, Keiji. Are you telling me the Sun can’t love the Moon? Even though we’re bonded for eternity?”

 

Keiji whispered into a strangled sob, “Please, don’t.” 

 

“Let me be selfish, just this once.”

 

Koutarou pressed his lips faintly against Keiji’s, as the latter cried with his eyes slammed shut. Koutarou slid his hand to the nape of the Moon spirit’s neck and pushed further, giving his all to prove his love. And in that instant, an all too familiar strike of gold and turquoise appeared before Keiji. Koutarou was gone, leaving the forest to solemnly mourn to the chaotic aura of the guardian spirit.

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


On a breezy, Autumn evening, Keiji had his eyes shut, taking in the busy sounds from the city and the forest. He sighed deeply, tracing his fingers lightly over the newest engravement on his tree stump: KB’1306. The wind picked up at a small, broken voice.

 

“Hello, sir! Aren’t you cold out here?” Keiji woefully smiled, and tilted his head at the teenager with golden eyes, responding with the piercing, turquoise pair of his own as the Moon beamed down at his face once again.

 

**_FIN._ **

**Author's Note:**

> i was watching the last airbender when they started talking about moon spirits in the southern water tribe and i had a random idea lol,, i actually started writing this straight away with no planning so i wouldn't lose my train of thought for like 6 hours because i'm slow lol
> 
> anyway i hope you enjoyed this random vent :)
> 
> tumblr: usohtsuki


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